Optus
VerifiedTelecommunications7,000 employees
Offshoring Summary
Figures reported in public sources at the dates shown. Current numbers may differ.
Estimated % of Workforce
~57.1%
illustrative — not directly reported by the company
Destination Countries
🇵🇭 Philippines🇮🇳 India
Financial Context
Estimated Wage Differential
~$340M/yr
CEO
Stephen Rue
CEO Total Pay
$3,100,000
CEO earns
28x the average Australian worker
avg Australian salary $110K+/yr
Estimate uses avg AU cost of $110,000+/yr (salary only, excluding super, office, recruitment) vs offshore $25,000/yr (salary + on-costs). Actual figures vary by role, seniority, and location.
In Plain English
- In 2025, Optus was reported to have 4,000+ offshore contractors and staff.
- This represents ~57.1% when compared to its current workforce of 7,000 (illustrative comparison only — not directly reported by the company).
- 🇮🇳 4,000+ staff reported in India in Call Centre.
- Known outsourcing partners include Concentrix.
- 1,920 Australian jobs have been cut.
Based on data from public sources at the dates reported. Figures may not reflect current headcount. See sources below for full attribution.
The Story
- 2012Optus cut 750 jobs after an internal review, with sources reporting over 1,000 could ultimately go. Part of a long-running pattern of workforce reductions. [iTnews]
- 2014–2017Optus cut a further 2,000+ roles across consumer, enterprise, wholesale and sales divisions between 2014 and 2017. In October 2017, it outsourced network management to Nokia, making 170 staff redundant. [iTnews]
- 2016Optus outsourced HR and finance operations offshore. The company had been steadily moving back-office functions to lower-cost locations while cutting Australian headcount. [iTnews]
- 2019Optus spent three years setting common standards across its offshore contact centre operations in India and the Philippines, with three BPO partners and collectively around 4,000 offshore staff handling Australian customer calls. [iTnews]
- 2022Optus suffered Australia's second-largest data breach, exposing 9.8 million customers' personal data including passport and licence numbers. CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin resigned. The breach was linked to a coding error in an API endpoint. [ABC News]
- November 2023A nationwide Optus outage lasting over 12 hours left 10 million customers without phone or internet. Triple Zero calls failed. An internal review found offshore call centre staff repeatedly failed to escalate warnings from customers about the outage. [ABC News]
- 2026Optus cut another 200 jobs following the data breach and network outage, continuing a decade-long pattern. The company has cut over 4,000 Australian jobs since 2012 while maintaining approximately 4,000 offshore staff in India and the Philippines. [AFR]
All facts sourced from public reporting. No editorial commentary. Click source links to verify.
Department Breakdown
| Department | Country | Headcount | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Call Centre | 🇮🇳 India | 4,000 | Confirmed |
Offshoring Timeline
Known Offshore Headcount Over Time
Cumulative known minimums from public sources.
| Date | Department | Country | Headcount | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan 2025 | Call Centre | 🇮🇳 India | 4,000 | Confirmed |
| 26 Feb 2026 | Call Centre | 🇵🇭 Philippines | — | Confirmed |
Layoff Events
| Date | Headcount | Location | Department | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Feb 2026 | 200 | Australia | technology | Optus cutting 200 jobs after data breach and network outage. |
| 26 Oct 2017 | 170 | Australia | IT | Optus outsourced network management to Nokia, 170 staff made redundant. |
| 27 Apr 2017 | 320 | Australia | technology | Optus cut 320 staff, warned of more cuts. Has cut 480 in 2016, 350 in 2014, 750 in 2012, 180 in 2011. |
| 1 Apr 2016 | 480 | Australia | technology | Optus cut 480 jobs across consumer, enterprise, wholesale and sales divisions. Has cut more than 2,000 roles since 2012. |
| 2 May 2012 | 750 | Australia | technology | Optus cut 750 jobs after internal review. Sources reported over 1,000 could be cut. |
Consultancy Engagements
| Vendor | Type | Contract Value | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concentrix | BPO | — | Confirmed |
Telecommunications Peers
How Optus's known offshore percentage (57.1%+) compares to reviewed telecommunications peers.
| Company | ASX | Known Offshore* | Offshore Destinations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aussie Broadband | ABB | None found | - |
| Chorus | CNU | None found | - |
| Superloop | SLC | None found | - |
| Telstra | TLS | 35.7%+ | 🇮🇳 India🇵🇭 Philippines🇻🇳 Vietnam🇬🇧 UK |
What Public Sources Say
All information below is sourced from publicly available documents and reporting. Excerpts are direct quotes. Click source links to verify.
News
Union blasts CBA offshoring - AFR“Fair Work Commission found CBA had at least 2 of 283 roles set to go would be performed at its Indian operation. CBA planned to combine the work of four staff in the bank's product team in Australia into just two in India.”
News
Optus outsourced call centres - iTnews“Optus spent three years setting common standards across its offshore contact centre operations in India and the Philippines, with three BPO partners and collectively around 4,000 offshore staff.”
News
Big job losses as Optus outsources to Nokia - iTnews“Optus outsourced network management to Nokia, 170 staff made redundant.”
News
Optus cuts 320 staff - iTnews“Optus cut 320 staff, warned of more cuts. Has cut 480 in 2016, 350 in 2014, 750 in 2012, 180 in 2011.”
News
Optus to outsource HR, finance operations - iTnews“Optus cut 480 jobs across consumer, enterprise, wholesale and sales divisions. Has cut more than 2,000 roles since 2012.”
News
Optus cuts 750 jobs - iTnews“Optus cut 750 jobs after internal review. Sources reported over 1,000 could be cut.”